Italian bus driver goes completely hands-free

A Roman bus driver has demonstrated just why Italians are globally celebrated for their automotive skills by steering his vehicle with his elbows while manipulating a brace of mobile phones.

Footage of Roberto Noto's "acrobatic" skills was captured by a passenger en route to Rome's Ciampino airport on Wednesday. The concerned citizen promptly handed the video dossier to La Repubblica, and once the outrage hit newsstands, the hands-free expert was identified and suspended by operator Astral.

A named-and-shamed Noto told the paper (by phone, natch): "I did get carried away. I humbly apologise to everyone. I don't know what to say, really."

Noto's fate now hangs in the balance. Lazio regional governer Renata Polverini is calling for his head, describing the incident as "unacceptable". Transport councillor Francesco Lollobrigida agreed with his boss's analysis, and declared: "A driver who knowingly endangers people travelling in his vehicle must be sacked."

For the record, poor old Noto was apparently taking instructions from someone on the phone in his right hand as to how to activate the smartphone in his left. La Repubblica has a photo showing just how you do this while driving a bus right here. ®